Conveyor belts are widely known and employed for the transport of a work product through a furnace for thermal processing of the work product. Woven metal belts are known for use in high temperature furnaces and for many purposes are acceptable. For some purposes however, metal belts are not suitable due to the tendency of the metal to scratch or mar the surface of some types of product being carried on the belt through the furnace. Panel displays such as used in computer tablets and solar cell wafers have a highly polished surface which is especially prone to scratching and abrasion by contact with a metal belt.
It is also desirable to avoid direct contact of a product surface with the metal conveyor as metal contamination can occur which can be deleterious to the product. For example, in the processing of solar cell wafers, contaminants from the metal can be transferred to the wafer and can be diffused into the wafer under the high temperature conditions of the furnace.
It would be desirable to provide a conveyor belt for use in high temperature furnaces which can carry such products and which will not adversely affect the product or product surface.